


Happy

by kisahawklin



Series: Alexander drabbles and shorts [5]
Category: Alexander (2004)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-01-08
Updated: 2005-01-08
Packaged: 2017-10-14 07:00:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/146641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kisahawklin/pseuds/kisahawklin





	Happy

Hephaistion knew immediately, as did everyone who had ever met Alexander, that he wanted to bask in his greatness. It emanated off him, even at the tender age of twelve, and Hephaistion wanted nothing more than to know the boy at the center of the power. Greatness could be intoxicating; he knew Kassander wanted badly to usurp or crush it, but did not have the constitution for it. Hephaistion understood the power, but it was the vessel that could hold it that interested him.

He was wary in his first cautious advances to Alexander. He wasn’t sure how a boy who was accustomed to groveling would react to someone like himself, someone curious but not afraid.

He brought gifts, but ones picked for Alexander, not for a future king. They were small, personal, secret. Nothing could make him happier than Alexander’s smile and within a few days, Hephaistion knew exactly how to coax it out of him.

Hephaistion smiled constantly, only unhappy when Alexander was unhappy, and sometimes not even then. It was hard to be sad when Alexander was there, his presence making lightening trails on Hephaistion’s skin. It was rare when Hephaestion couldn’t bring Alexander out of his moping, and it wasn’t long before he knew it was Olympias alone whose ill tidings would linger with Alexander.

Soon after Hephaistion realized this, he also realized that touching Alexander, holding him or stroking his arm, would calm him. Eventually, hours later, Hephaistion’s gentle caresses allowed him to release whatever spirits his mother hexed him with. Then Hephaistion could play, teasing Alexander and running away, knowing he would always be caught.


End file.
